Little Things
by kuyaga
Summary: One-shots that involve the little things in life that make a difference. Chapter 1: Hinata is frustrated; Naruto is forever trying to help.


This is my first time writing in a few years so constructive criticism is more than welcome. I am thinking of making this into a series of drabbles. That may or may not happen, but it's probably more than just one one-shot.

I don't own Naruto, never have, probably never will.

* * *

**Frustration**

Hinata didn't like to say when she got frustrated. She didn't want to cause a fuss. But she sometimes was frustrated, and annoyed, and even angry. She wouldn't say so though. The fuss wasn't worth it. And she loved it when he tried to make her happy, even if it was the wrong way and it frustrated her. She didn't want to discourage him and tell him the way she felt. He'll get it right next time, she told herself. He will.

***

Naruto was full of energy. He bounced off the walls and couldn't be contained by anything, but he tried, for her. He wanted so for her to be happy, to be happy with him. He could always tell when she was frustrated and wouldn't say so. Always. He had always prided himself on his ability to make people feel better when they were sad or angry or frustrated. He couldn't figure out how to make Hinata happier. He tried all the things that would have worked on a person like him, then a person like Sakura, then Gaara, then Lee, but she was none of these people and he knew that and he knew his approach was wrong. But he couldn't figure her out.

***

They walked to Hinata's cousin's graduation. Naruto chattered; Hinata smiled. Relations of all kinds were there to support the new genin. An array of folding chairs were set up before a podium, the sun was bright, the large tree with the swing cast a shadow on the last few rows of chairs. Hinata looked at the tree, then at the chairs in the back, a smile just forming on her face when Naruto grasped her hand more firmly.

"Up here, Hinata-chan! We'll wave to your cousin as she goes on the podium!"

She was dragged to the front row of chairs and plunked down between her too-energetic companion and a woman so old and small that her feet didn't quite reach the ground.

"Are you here to see someone special?" the hunched over lady asked. Her eyes crinkled as she looked up towards Hinata. "My great-grandnephew has been ecstatic about this day for weeks! I told him I'd sit right up front so he can wave to me as he gets his diploma."

"Ah, um, I'm here for my cousin. She's very nervous. She doesn't like crowds too much."

"I'm sure she will be fine with you up here."

Hinata turned to face the podium. The sun was very bright where they were sitting. She wished the graduation had already happened so she could greet her cousin and go elsewhere.

***

Naruto sighed impatiently as he walked through the gates to the yard where he had spent so much of his childhood. There weren't any people he knew particularly well there and he had really wanted to speak with Lee before his mission the next day.

But Hinata would be lonely without him and he would really rather be with her than Lee anyhow. If she had not wanted to be here, Naruto would have brought her to Lee's and they could have had ramen and spoken and she would have a happier expression on her face than she did in this stupid yard at this stupid graduation. She didn't like gatherings this big, he knew she found family members stifling and so he pulled her up to the front before they could give their greetings. This way she could see the person she really wanted to see- her cousin- and not have to deal with all the others!

"Up here, Hinata-chan! We'll wave to your cousin as she goes on the podium!"

He sat with Hinata on his left side and the aisle in the middle of the seats to his right. That way they could get up and congratulate Hinata's cousin first and leave right away before Hinata got uncomfortable. His plan was foolproof this time- she had to be happy about it! He glanced at her to see, but she was blushing and had a slightly apprehensive look on her face. Her hand in his was sweating a little and she was shading her eyes with the other one to see the podium better.

He still didn't have it right.

***

After the graduation the two made their way to Rock Lee's. Naruto chattered; Hinata listened.

"What if Sakura-chan hates it? You only turn nineteen once and I want to give her the best nineteenth birthday present she could get from her best friend! But she doesn't like dangley earrings and she never gets the chance to wear nice dresses and whenever I give her chocolates she gives me this you're-going-to-make-me-fat look and I just don't know what to do!"

Hinata had no idea what Sakura would want for her nineteenth birthday. She loved listening to Naruto chatter though, and let him go on.

"I asked Ino, because, you know, they're best friends and maybe she'd know, but she's giving Sakura-chan this picture frame she made with this collage of pictures of them but I can't do that because she's doing it and I don't ever take pictures so I don't have that many of Sakura-chan and me anyway. Then I thought, what do I want for my nineteenth birthday, and of course I want ramen, but she doesn't like it nearly as much as I do. Hinata, did you want to sit in the back today?"

She blinked. She hadn't been expecting his question to pop up so suddenly.

"Um, ah, whatever was fine."

He looked at her seriously. "Really. Did you want to sit in the back?"

Hinata looked up at him, trying to fight down the blush that always crept up into her cheeks when he looked at her so intently. "Kind of. It was shadier in the back and it's kind of warm out today..." She trailed off and looked back down. "It's not like it really matters though, does it?"

"Of course it does! I want to know where my Hinata-chan wants to sit so we can always sit there! I can always tell when you don't really want to do something but you're too polite and nice and Hinata-chan-ey to say so and that's what you were doing today."

"Sorry. I didn't want to bother moving after you picked out seats-"

"Next time, you should pick out seats. So we can sit where you get that happy look when there's nothing bothering you."

"Ok." The word was more weighted than it sounded. They had made an agreement.

"But seriously, what do I get Sakura-chan? Her party is tomorrow and if I don't have something super good she's going to turn into dark evil Sakura-chan and pound me into the ground..."

Hinata let him chatter, and smiled. She knows he's trying so hard for her. She hopes he knows how hard she's trying for him. She wants him to be happy, and not worry about her.

***

When they see a singer at the noodle bar, Hinata chooses to sit on the side at a booth, but in the middle of the room. He got it right.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed! Please do comment, even if it's just a "I liked it!" or a "It was painful to read!" just so I get a general idea of what people think.

~kuyaga


End file.
